Nigeria, UNIDO Sign $60m New Country Programme

The federal government and UNIDO have signed a $60 million new country programme for Nigeria to cover industrial governance, research and statistics, and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises development programme.

The programme is part of efforts of Nigeria to accelerate the country’s industrialisation process through the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

Mr Okechukwu Enelamah, the Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment signed on behalf of the Federal Government, while Mr Li Yong, the Director-General, UNIDO signed for his organisation.

The programme also covers Special Economic Zones (SEZs), industrial parks and private sector development programme innovation, and science and technology management programme.

The rest are Agro-industry and agribusiness development programme, minerals and metals development programme, trade capacity building programme, renewable energy development programme and environmental management programme.

The new Country Programme (CP) is an Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development plan (2018 – 2022) with the Nigerian Government.

The new CP, the second in the series of UNIDO’s support to the Government of Nigeria, was aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s drive toward Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID).

The CP would align to the priorities of the Federal Government as outlined in Vision 20:2020 (NV 20:2020), Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

The programme was designed to build on the cumulative achievements of the past Country Service Frameworks and Country Programme implemented by UNIDO.

Enelamah said that UNIDO was encouraged by the success of the first Country Programme which paved way for the new programme.

He said some of the achievements of the first programme, which ended in June 2018, included support to the development of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and capacity strengthening of the sector for its implementation.

It also listed support for the development of an industrial policy for Nigeria and for states including Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Oyo, Lagos, Abia, and Edo as some of the achievements.

Others he said were the development of agribusiness and agro industry, and value chains with installation of modern rice milling equipment in Ebonyi and Benue among others.

Earlier, Yong said that the second signing of (CP) was important for Nigeria as the country strives toward achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9 which focuses on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation.

He said the second (CP) was as a result of the success recorded from the first programme.

According to him, UNIDO will collaborate with the ministry to mobilise funds and resources required to successfully implement the CP.

The ERGP, inaugurated in 2017, is a medium term all-round development initiative focused on restoring growth, investing in people and building a globally competitive economy.

As the first phase of the programme draws to a close, six core sectors were identified for the Federal Government’s attention to grow the economy of which the ministry is one of them. (NAN)